Fair Go on Public Wi-Fi: Is It Safe to Log In?

Using Fair Go on public Wi-Fi isn't automatically unsafe, but it adds risks your home connection and mobile data don't have. The good news is that modern websites encrypt the connection between your browser and the site, so someone on the same network can't simply read your password as it passes. The bad news is that public Wi-Fi gives scammers other openings: fake hotspots, fake sign-in pages and plain old shoulder surfing. Knowing which is which tells you where to be careful.

What HTTPS does and doesn't protect

When you see a padlock next to the address, the page is using HTTPS. That encrypts what travels between your phone and the website, including your password and card details.

HTTPS protects

Your login and payment details from being read by other people on the same network while they're in transit.

HTTPS doesn't protect

You from a fake site, a fake hotspot that sends you to one, or someone watching your screen.

The network can still see

Which websites you visit, even if it can't see what you do on them.

So the encryption is doing its job. The risks on public Wi-Fi come from being steered to the wrong place, or tricked into ignoring a warning that you're in the wrong place.

The real risks of Fair Go on public Wi-Fi

• Evil twin hotspots

  A scammer sets up a network with the same name as the café's. Your phone may join it automatically, and the scammer then controls where your connection goes.

• Fake sign-in portals

  Public networks often show a page asking you to accept terms. A fake one may ask for an email password, a social login or card details. A legitimate portal rarely needs more than an email address or a tick box.

• Certificate warnings

  "This connection is not private" on a public network can mean someone is intercepting traffic. Close the page. Never tap through to continue on a casino or banking site.

• Shoulder surfing

  Typing a password, or showing a balance, in a crowded place lets people nearby see it. Some will remember it or film it.

• Shared devices

  Library and hotel computers may keep sessions or saved passwords. Never log in to Fair Go on a computer you don't control.

Many public networks block gambling, and that's their call

Libraries, schools, workplaces, gyms and many venues filter gambling websites on their Wi-Fi. If Fair Go won't open on a public network but works at home, a network filter is the likely reason. That's the network owner's rule, and it's not something we'll help you get round. On a work network there's an extra reason to leave it alone, because gambling on an employer's connection or device can breach workplace policies. If it won't load anywhere, our guide to why Fair Go may not load covers the other causes, including blocks in Australia.

Safer habits if you play away from home

1. Use mobile data for anything sensitive. Logging in, depositing and checking your account are better done on your mobile connection, which a stranger in the café can't impersonate.
2. Confirm the network name with staff before you join, and be suspicious of near-duplicates.
3. Turn off auto-join for public networks. On iPhone, tap the info button next to the network in Wi-Fi settings and switch off Auto-Join. On Android, open the network's settings and turn off automatic reconnect.
4. Forget the network when you leave, so your phone doesn't reconnect to a lookalike later.
5. Keep Private Wi-Fi Address on (iPhone) or randomised MAC (Android), which makes your phone harder to track across networks.
6. Type the address yourself. If a public network redirects you somewhere unexpected when you open Fair Go, close the tab. Our guide to fake Fair Go login pages shows what lookalikes look like.
7. Save the paperwork for home. Uploading ID or requesting a withdrawal can wait. Our guide to verifying your ID with your phone covers doing it safely.
8. Log out and lock up. Sign out of Fair Go when you're done, and make sure your phone locks itself quickly.

Mobile data is the better choice for the cashier anyway. Our mobile deposit guide explains how to keep payments smooth, and our guide to mobile data and battery shows how to keep data use down.

Public play is still play: a word on limits

Gambling on the bus, in a waiting room or at the pub turns dead time into spin time, and those small sessions add up without feeling like a decision. If you notice you're reaching for Fair Go whenever you've got a spare minute, that's a pattern worth interrupting. Timers and blocks on your phone help; see our guide to phone gambling limits. And if gambling's stopped being fun, Gambling Help Online is free and confidential on 1800 858 858.

Fair Go public Wi-Fi FAQ